The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Final steel beam placed at MVHS regional healthcare facility
The final and uppermost steel beam for the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) regional healthcare facility was recently placed on, prompting a “Topping Off” ceremony to celebrate the construction milestone as the structure reaches its height.
The nearly $550 million project, developed in partnership with Gilbane Building Company and Hammes, is being financed with $300 million in state funding through the Healthcare Facility Transformation Program, according to a press release by the governor’s office. The 392bed, 10-story, 703,000 square foot hospital will transform the healthcare delivery system in Oneida County and is expected to open in 2023.
“COVID has shown us how critical it is for hospitals to have the staff, supplies, and technology they need to properly serve New Yorkers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “This state-of-theart facility will offer world-class services and amenities for residents of Oneida County and the entire Mohawk Valley as we continue to expand access to healthcare and transform our healthcare system in every corner of the state.”
This milestone is commemorated by painting the beam white and having the steel erection crew, construction team, designers, owners, and others sign the beam for posterity.
Once the beam is ready to be placed, it is typically adorned with a small evergreen tree and an American flag on opposite ends of the beam. This custom celebrates the construction process and is viewed as the first introduction of the building to the public, and it uniquely honors the accomplishments of the construction crew, officials say.
According to a press release from the governor’s office, the project was first introduced in the governor’s 2015 State of the State address as part of an effort to support Upstate New York hospitals and advance key priority infrastructure, economic development, and environmental projects across New York.
The new healthcare facility is located on a 25-acre parcel that will include a central utility plant, an urban park with enhanced lighting, pedestrian walkways, landscaping and seating areas, as well as a pedestrian bridge over Columbia Street in downtown Utica.
NYS Office of General Services Commissioner Roann Destito said, “After the year we’ve had contending with COVID-19, the urgent need for a modern, centralized health care facility in the Mohawk Valley is more evident than ever. It was an honor to represent Governor Cuomo today at the topping off ceremony. The Governor’s support for a new hospital in Utica will provide a lasting benefit to the Mohawk Valley Community.”
Mohawk Valley Health System President and CEO Darlene Stromstad, FACHE said, “This is such an exciting day for MVHS and this project as the framework for our new medical center is now finished. A spotlight has been shown on the healthcare field over the past year, and everyone has been feeling the stress and strain of the continued COVID-19 pandemic.
“The need for a state-of-theart facility in our region is apparent, and I think this project provides a beacon of hope for the future in these tough times. It’s so exciting to now see the frame of the new medical center and get a better idea for how it will look once it’s finished!”
Mohawk Valley Health System Executive Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Robert Scholefield, MS, RN, said, “We have been progressing on this project as planned and are actually slightly ahead of schedule with the completion of the steelwork.
“One of the next steps in the construction of the new regional medical center is to start putting up the podium panels that will be the base for the brick on the bottom two floors. The exterior of the first two floors will be brick and the towers will be metal paneling. All of the paneling needed for the podium has been fabricated and is ready for delivery - another significant milestone!”
New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “This state-of-the-art medical center will modernize healthcare delivery for the entire Mohawk Valley, improving the accessibility and quality of health care in the region. While [the] COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that regional coordination of healthcare services is essential in emergencies, this facility will also provide important services for the people of Utica.”
The new healthcare facility will replace the “outdated and obsolete” St. Luke’s Hospital Campus and St. Elizabeth Medical Center, according to the governor’s press release.
The new state-of-the-art hospital will offer emergency, acute inpatient, outpatient, primary care, and other healthcare services in a single downtown location, improving the accessibility and quality of healthcare in the region.
“This is a tremendous milestone for the new regional medical center,” said John Larow, vice president and Upstate New York business leader, Gilbane Building Company. “The completion of the steel structure is
another step toward realizing a transformational new healthcare facility for the community. We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with our project partners who have been relentlessly focused on delivering the highest quality construction. Our local trade partners and labor teams have committed themselves to safety and excellence which is evident in our progress to date.”
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this process for the last six years,” said Nancy Connolly, president of Hammes Healthcare. “Today’s topping off ceremony marks an important phase in bringing this project to reality, and being witness to the incredible impact it will have on the residents of Utica and the entire region.”
According to state officials, the campus, adjacent to the Downtown Utica business district, will also include the development of physician office buildings, support facilities, and a business center. Officials say the new medical center creates a structured delivery system to reduce gaps and inefficiencies in care coordination, eliminates duplication of services, and improves ease of access with ample parking and centralized entrances. It will be a modern facility with private patient rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows to enhance healing, and the flexibility to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and delivery models.